MSI's Big Bang series extends with XPower

With MSI's Big Bang enthusiast oriented mainboards fast gathering attention, MSI chose to keep riding the wave with the series and have thus introduced yet another model into the Big Bang lineup, the XPower.

As the folks at VR-Zone have learned, this model is even meaner and richer in features than the previous offerings. It's using Intel's LGA-1366 based X58 chipset and gives graphics card junkies all they desire and more with six PCI-E x16 slots onboard for CrossFireX and SLI support whilst leaving plenty of room for other PCI-E devices.

Of course, MSI has made sure to put all the latest technologies on this variant with both SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 support. Meanwhile, overclocking should prove to give excellent results with a 16-phase DrMOS PWM (drawing power from two 8-pin connectors for added stability) and the use of High-C capacitors for superior durability. Meanwhile, the six DDR3 memory slots are powered by a 3-phase VRM.

The included audio is also impressive on this mode, based off a "Quantum Wave Audio card" it nestles into the residing PCI-E x1 slot and gives 7.1 audio with support for THX TruStudio PC Suite and EAX 5.0 HD.

Rounding out the features list, as mentioned before, it includes two USB 3.0 ports (along with a bunch of USB 2.0 ports), FireWire, two Gigabit ethernet ports, two power eSATA ports and eight SATA ports (six being 3Gbps from the ICH10R and two 6Gbps ports from a separate controller).

The board is said to become available by sometime in March, but at what hefty price tag exactly, we're not yet sure.